Not a ton of success stories here.

Professional Engineer (Age 43), have spent the past 8 years looking at exit strategies. I am a potential career changer in my 40s, but scared about doing it.

Passed a couple of actuarial exams and was ready to get out and then got an attractive job offer within engineering that I have been at for 6 years. Been restless again and have spent the past year working on a data science certificate, but still afraid to pull the trigger. My compensation has effectively doubled in the past 6 years and in some ways I have a very cushy gig and would be foolish to leave just because I am kind of bored with it. At the same time, I don't think I can bring myself to do this for the next 15-20 years.

I worked as a high school math teacher for about 5 years when I first left Uni. Then worked in IT, eventually working in IT on mine sites. In my 40's I went back to Uni part time to study Mining Engineering. I started working as a graduate Mining Engineer in my 40's, which had its challenges . However I really enjoy working as a Mining Engineer. It has given me some fantastic opportunities and a much higher salary. I am currently working as a Mining Engineer in Mongolia, which is an exciting role and a great opportunity.

Sometimes you have to take a risk and get out of your comfort zone and seize the opportunity.

The world needs structural engineers with some sense.

Holy shit! You sir, win the Internet today.

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Books @ Amazon
"If only he had used his genius for niceness, instead of Evil." M. Smart

It’s certainly not something I want to do - I think having 3 teenage boy and a tween girl (in 10 years or so) are going to require me to work strictly to cover the food costs and ski passes!!

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Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."

What do you do as an engineer?

I have a BS in Mech E but effectively work in data science. At the end of the day, its a job.

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-----------------------------Baron Von Speedypants
-----------------------------RunTraining articles here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...runtraining;#1612485

I started my career in a department of computer science, which was fairly balanced between teaching and research. But was always a lot more interested in applying my data skills to biomedical research. When I made the switch, I had a pretty good knowledge of basic lab science, but no knowledge at all in clinical science and I moved straight from a dept of computer science (entirely hard money) to a dept of family medicine (entirely soft money). I spent my first faculty meetings wondering what the hell people were talking about. Even though sometimes it was very stressful, it's been super exciting too, and I love having made that decision. Now, I direct a center focusing on using informatics to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequities.

I did. Came from a science background and spent 22 years in sales/marketing/environmental consulting. Got an idiot for a new boss, and while comfortable, I was bored out of my mind. Got laid off at 48 and while I could have found a similar job easily, I had no desire to return to that field. I spent 6 months hanging out, training, helped a friend renovate some houses, drinking, watching my kids, etc., but realized I needed to do something. I bought a franchise; a caregiver provider service company (providing caregivers for seniors).
I've been doing it for 5 years now. Building a business from scratch is really, really hard. There is so much to learn and do. There is no one to blame but yourself for mistakes. Didn't make any money or much money for the first few years. Starting to now. It can be stressful.
On a positive note, I am never, ever bored. I've seen a lot of wild, crazy stuff. It has shaped my thinking on what is important in life. I love having the freedom to create my own schedule and make my own decisions. It would take alot of money for me to ever go back to working for someone else.

Twenty year career as a Surface Line Officer, USN followed by a twenty year career as a bicycle messenger in Washington DC. Is that radical enough? Currently 4 years into my retirement career. The bicycle messenger career path may soon be extinct, and you are too old to get in the Navy, but hang in there a while longer because the retirement career is the best of all careers.

Not really sure what's considered successful. Some people do it to be happy.

Friend of mine ran his own internet business for a few years and he and his wife were both working on it until they had their first child who was in the hospital for almost the entire first year of her life. Once their daughter started school, he took advantage of a program that let him become a teacher within a year and he now loves teaching science and math to kids. I'm sure the salary is nothing compared to what he was making but he's thrown himself completely into it; taking summer courses to further his teaching skills.

I have two other friends who had radical changes - AI game developer who became a full time musician who has been on our biggest local stage (Montreal Jazz Fest) and is deeply involved in the community, and a triathlete friend who was an actuary who just gave it all up and became a spin instructor and masssage therapist. They made their moves in their 30's but both are infinitely happier than they were before. For both of them, they both HATED what they were doing despite being really good at their jobs.

"Not really sure what's considered successful."


They did it and don't regret the decision. That's how I'd define it.

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-----------------------------Baron Von Speedypants
-----------------------------RunTraining articles here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...runtraining;#1612485

Why on Earth would you do something like that?

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Long Chile was a silly place.

I have changed my careers on two occasions now.

The first was when I left the Navy after 11 years of service when I was 29. I had managed to burn all my bridges for promotion so I left and started a second career in Federal law enforcement. I stayed in that position for another 10 years until I injured my back and was unable to do the fun stuff associated with chasing bad guys. I then changed at age 39 to the Contracting career field in the Federal government where I have been ever since.

In both cases it took a step back in pay and seniority, from around $60K to $40K going from law enforcement to contracting, but I have since been promoted higher than I would have likely been had I stayed in the law enforcement job. By making those changes I also avoided the big military draw down in the early 1990s and the creation of DHS after 9/11 so my moves were serendipitous in avoiding those bad times.

This isn't my career change, but my dad made a massive career change when I was a kid. He left his sprinkler fitter job to go back to physical therapy school (1997) and graduated in 2000 at age 53. It worked out fantastic for him. My parents said it was tough financially for a few years but it was worth it in the long run because he was able to get a MUCH better job. He retired in 2012 but still works part time at a clinic close to home.

This was prior to the PhD requirement for physical therapy, so it would be significantly more difficult to make this kind of transition now.

Did he have an undergrad degree already? 3 years seems like an awfully short time to finish that kind of schooling.

I graduated in 2001 and was looking at that type of work, and, around here at least, it was 6 years start to finish.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

I believe his undergrad was in Fire Protection. I know he had to take a lot of pre-reqs. I think they changed the Masters vs. PhD requirement not long after he finished.

I thought about making the same career change the last couple years but with pre-reqs + PhD it would take about 4-5 years now (assuming you have an undergrad that wasn't related). I felt like that was too much time and money.

Actually I believe Phd programs for PT are only 3 years. They used to require MS degrees (two years of grad) but then moved to a 3 year Phd program.

There are programs that are longer, but they allow you to do a little bit more with regard to diagnosis.

......at least according to my PT last year.

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-----------------------------Baron Von Speedypants
-----------------------------RunTraining articles here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...runtraining;#1612485